A fairness letter alleging a false statement or fraudulent document is one of the most serious in immigration law. A five-year bar can follow, even from an honest mistake.
Of all the letters an applicant can receive, this is among the most serious. An officer is telling you, in effect, that they believe something in your application is false, a document, a statement, a record, and that they are considering a finding of misrepresentation. What follows that finding can shut the door to Canada for years.
Under section 16(1) of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act you must answer truthfully and provide the documents an officer reasonably requires. Where an officer concludes there has been misrepresentation under section 40, the consequence is severe: a five-year bar from Canada under section 40(2)(a), and a shadow over every future application you make.
A fairness letter offers you a chance to respond, often on a very short clock, sometimes as little as ten days. It feels like a simple request for an explanation. It is not. What you say, and how you say it, can be the difference between keeping your application alive and locking in a five-year bar. A defensive or incomplete reply can confirm the officer’s concern. A well-constructed one addresses the legal test, not just the emotion.
We read the allegation for what it legally is, assess the real exposure, and build a response aimed at the test the officer must apply, not the one applicants assume. Where a finding has already been made, we advise on judicial review. We will tell you honestly whether there is a defensible path, and if there is, pursue it with care.
This page is general legal information and is not legal advice. Every case turns on its own facts, and outcomes cannot be guaranteed. For your own situation, please book a consultation.
Immigration, family, corporate or cross-border. We will tell you honestly what can be done, and what cannot.
Book a Consultation在申请人可能收到的所有信件中，这是最严重的一类。移民官实际上是在告诉你：他们认为你申请里的某样东西是假的，一份文件、一句陈述、一项记录，并正在考虑作出误导性陈述(misrepresentation)的认定。而这个认定之后的后果，可能把通往加拿大的门关上数年。
根据《移民与难民保护法》第16(1)条，你必须如实回答、并提供移民官合理要求的文件。一旦移民官依第40条认定存在误导性陈述，后果极为严重：依第40(2)(a)条，五年内被禁止入境加拿大，且会给你此后的每一次申请蒙上阴影。
公正信给了你一次回应的机会，时间往往很短，有时只有十天。它看起来像是一个简单的"请解释一下"的请求。其实不是。你说什么、怎么说，可能就是"申请得以存续"与"坐实五年禁入"之间的分界。一个防御性的、或不完整的回复，可能反而印证移民官的疑虑；一个构建得当的回复，针对的是法律要件，而不只是情绪。
我们会从法律上看清这项指控究竟是什么、评估真实的风险敞口，并针对移民官必须适用的法律要件（而非申请人以为的那个）来搭建回复。若认定已经作出，我们就司法复议提供意见。我们会坦诚告诉你是否存在可辩护的出路；若有，则谨慎地去争取。
本页为一般法律信息，不构成法律意见。每个案件都取决于自身事实，结果无法保证。针对您的具体情况，请预约咨询。